DeSantis: State has delivered nearly a million vaccines
Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared Friday morning on Fox & Friends to preside over what he described as the one-millionth administration of the COVID vaccine to a Florida senior.
Later in the day, DeSantis said Florida could vaccinate people at a higher rate than the federal government is providing the doses.
In the first week of January, Florida vaccinated 350,000 and in the next week, 400,000, he said at a news conference Friday in Key Largo. But the amount will be lower this week and next because of the number of doses supplied by the federal government, he said.
“We got 266,000 that’s in the street now,” he said. “We’re going to get 266,000, as it stands, for next week’s shipment. So we’re going at a pace faster than that. If you look at a place like Hard Rock Stadium, they do 1,000 a day. We could do two or three thousand a day if we had more vaccine.”
DeSantis started the day on Fox & Friends to deliver the news about what he represented as the millionth vaccine.
Receiving the shot was Henry Sayler, a 100-year-old World War II veteran.
Wearing an American flag face mask, the veteran received the vaccination without flinching.
“Hey, Henry, how did that feel?” DeSantis asked.
“I didn’t feel a thing,” Sayler replied.
DeSantis has appeared many times on Fox, the broadcast outlet that made him a national Republican star and serves as a reliable source of friendly questions.
“What are you doing differently that’s allowing you to vaccinate so many more of the vulnerable population?” one of the hosts asked.
“We said seniors first,” DeSantis said. “This is something we have to focus on, the 65 and up population. There’s young, healthy workers that are getting it in other states. God bless ‘em, but I want to protect our vulnerable.”
DeSantis was a little vague about whether Sayler was precisely the millionth person, since vaccines are being administered at various times around the state.
“About 840,000 seniors as ofthismorninghavereceived the shot, but the reporting really lags about three days is what we’ve found, so we really believe today is the day we’re going to do our one millionth senior in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “I have a World War II veteran herethatyouguysaregoingto see get the shot. He’s 100 years old, Henry Saylor, great guy.”
He said the state needs more vaccines from the federal government.
“I’m doing more vaccines in a week than I’m being replenished for,” he said. “So if we don’t start seeing increases in the supply, than you are going to start seeing fewer vaccines done on a daily basis.”